Q: Our middle-school principal says teachers will use "project-based learning" that answers "interesting questions" to teach Common Core State Standards (CCSS). I thought Common Core was a uniform curriculum. Projects sound like busywork!

A: I like your principal. He understands that the Common Core offers educators different opportunities to motivate kids and keep their attention in class.

A few facts: The Common Core is not a curriculum. It's a set of rigorous grade-by-grade expectations that students should meet in mathematics and English language arts and literacy to prepare for college and 21st-century careers. (Go to www.corestandards.org/standards-in-your-state.)

States, districts, schools and teachers create their own curricula and choose their own instructional strategies to teach the Common Core. Many teachers are beginning to use project-based learning (PBL) to help kids dive deep into a subject to develop understanding.

Successful project-based learning isn't busywork -- it's structured and purposeful. Students gain knowledge and skills by working for a period of time to investigate and respond to a complex question, problem or challenge, says Sara Hallermann, curriculum development manager at the Buck Institute for Education (BIE), a nonprofit organization that offers high-quality PBL resources to schools. (Find projects at bie.org.)

"I'm not surprised teachers are turning to project-based learning," says New York middle-school expert Nancy Hereford. "It doesn't bore kids. It's enjoyable and culminates in a big accomplishment students are very proud of. That alone helps make the learning stick.

"Research shows that students learn more about a subject and remember it longer through projects because they have the chance to apply their skills to real-world situations that interest them. Projects also teach students to use technology, work in teams, make presentations, think critically and solve problems together. These are just some of the skills that Common Core asks students to master."

To ensure success, BIE projects include these key elements, says Hallermann. They start with a "driving question" that students find intriguing. The question defines their exploration.

Projects delve into significant content knowledge from CCSS. They provide practice in critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, communication, creativity and innovation.

They require students to ask questions, use resources and develop answers. The process emphasizes the "need to know" -- showing students why and how the new concepts and skills answer the driving question.

Depending on age level and experience with PBL, students may choose the product to be created, how they work and how they use their time -- with teacher guidance.

Projects get students to revise and reflect -- to think about what and how they are learning, and use feedback to consider changes that lead to high-quality final products.

Once a project is complete, students present their work to a "public audience" that often includes parents and community members with expertise in the driving question.

Ask your principal how teachers choose the projects, how students are graded, how teamwork is divided, how long the project lasts and whether it takes all or a portion of class time. Find out if parents are welcome as mentors, experts and presentation audience members. And encourage your middle-schooler to join the team!

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: Our school district is under fire for not storing student data securely. I wasn't even aware my kids' information was stored. What should parents know about this privacy risk to our children?

A: Schools have always used data to improve instruction. Teachers once maintained bulky cumulative folders for each student -- with notes and test scores and other records -- and passed them from grade to grade.

Since the dawn of "big data," schools have used technology to collect information that helps educators tailor instruction and catch learning problems early.

For example, data generated by a computer math game allows a teacher to individualize problems in real time: If Emma has mastered multiplication by 5 and 10, but needs to practice 8 and 9, her teacher adjusts the game as Emma plays and the program tracks her progress.

Schools also use trend data to troubleshoot problems. Because poor attendance in elementary school often predicts who might drop out of high school, educators assess attendance and tardiness records, grades and teacher observations to identify students who may need intervention.

A 2013 study by the Center on Law and Information Policy at Fordham Law School showed that student privacy was threatened because most school districts now use cloud computing provided by third-party vendors to store and manage data. This data includes health and attendance records, grades, teachers' notations, suspensions, expulsions, cafeteria records and bus routes.

Professor Joel Reidenberg, the study's co-author, says the third-party contracts fail to address privacy issues such as how the data is used, how long it's stored and whether it could be sold.

What can a parent do?

"We can't afford not to use data," says Aimee Guidera, executive director of the Data Quality Campaign, an education policy nonprofit. "Educators need the right data at the right time to improve student achievement. Administrators must show parents the value in the data collected, dispel myths and clarify the use in teaching, learning and decision-making."

But Guidera says districts also cannot afford to let their students' data fall into the wrong hands. She suggests parents ask administrators four questions: What is being collected and how is it used? How is the data stored? Who has access to it? When does it expire?

Adds security expert Alan Katzman of Social Assurity (a "social media management service"): "Who is financially liable for the safekeeping of student data? What will keep the data secure from unauthorized users? What end user authentication procedures are used? Will the data be encrypted when sent over the Internet? Does the vendor have data protection insurance? What steps occur if there's a data breach -- including mandatory notifications, corrective measures, compensation penalties?"

There's no denying that education technology has the potential to transform learning if it's used wisely, says Joni Lupovitz of Common Sense Media, an education advocacy group.

The organization launched the School Privacy Zone initiative to raise families' awareness of the increased sharing of students' personal data.

"We want to help ensure that we're creating an atmosphere where kids can learn and be engaged but thrive without putting their personal information at risk," Lupovitz says.

For more information, go to dataqualitycampaign.org and Commonsensemedia.org.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: Our daughter's second-grade teacher says she gives up too easily and needs to develop "grit." That sounds so negative, like gritting teeth! Who wants to put a 7-year-old under that kind of pressure?

A: Think positive. Grit -- the ability to persevere over time to overcome a challenge and achieve a goal -- is a hot topic from the ivory tower to the teachers' lounge.

Compelling research has educators and parents rethinking the role of praise in motivation and what constitutes "too much" pressure.

Stanford researcher Carol Dweck has shown that overpraising has negative affects. University of Nebraska psychologist Richard Dienstbier founds that routine stresses, such as dealing with a tough teacher, can make students stronger.

University of Pennsylvania researcher Angie Duckworth established the importance of grit in school achievement and says it's a better indicator of success than IQ or family income.

In his book, "How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character" (Mariner Books, 2013), Paul Tough explains that grit combines several traits: motivation, a strong desire to achieve a goal; self-control, knowing how to focus and avoid distractions; goal-orientation, knowing where one's headed and having a plan to get there; and a growth mindset, a belief that one's abilities can be developed through effort and hard work.

If grit is good, then how can parents develop it?

-- Start early: The late parent educator Dorothy Rich, author of "MegaSkills: Building Our Children's Character and Achievement for School and Life" (Sourcebooks, 2008), called effort and perseverance two of 12 "megaskills" that could be taught to preschoolers. She encouraged such activities as structured dramatic play in which children learn self-control and focus by staying in character.

-- Model it; talk about it: Show how you demonstrate perseverance, whether restoring a home or getting an advanced degree.

Read children's books that showcase grit. Biographies of heroes such as Teddy Roosevelt and Rosa Parks give kids opportunities to talk about what they value, fear and want to achieve. "Folk tales are also a great way to spur those conversations," says reading expert Keith Garton, publisher of "Tales of Honor," a series about bravery, devotion and perseverance (Red Chair Press, 2013).

-- Encourage kids to set their own goals: "Too often parents set goals for their children. Teach them how to define their own goals that relate to their interests. Show them how to anticipate obstacles and lay out a plan that prioritizes time and resources to achieve them," says Bill Laraway, a fifth-grade teacher at Silver Oak Elementary in San Jose, Calif. "Kids should know this process by the end of fifth grade."

-- Make it OK to fail: Don't shelter kids from messing up, says Laraway. "Mistakes teach us -- motivate us -- to try again and do it better."

For more information, check out the free webinar "Got Grit? Help Your Child Develop a Sense of Perseverance" (parentfurther.com/webinars/got-grit). And watch Angela Duckworth's TED Talk, "The Key to Success? Grit," at ted.com.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)